California City Passes Plastic Bag Ban

The West Hollywood City Council has passed an ordinance prohibiting the use of single-use carryout shopping bags at the point of sale from all pharmacy, grocery and retail stores in West Hollywood.

According to the West Hollywood City Council, its ordinance is based on the ban currently in effect in Los Angeles County and similar to ordinances in neighboring cities, including Santa Monica, Malibu, Calabasas and Long Beach.

The ordinance goes into effect for retail establishments measuring at least 10,000 square feet and for all supermarkets in February 2013. Retail establishments smaller than 10,000 square feet have until June 2013 to comply with the ban.

The city says that a ban on single-use plastic bags will eliminate a major source of litter and marine debris and create local green jobs.

Retailers are permitted to charge 10 cents for paper bags to help cover the costs of stocking them and any related outreach or promotional efforts. Paper bags will be required to contain 40 percent post-consumer recycled content.

Customers who qualify for subsidized groceries will be exempt from the paper bag fee, and light-weight plastic bags without handles for transporting produce and raw meat products to the point of sale are permitted.

Restaurants and other food service providers who provide plastic bags to customers for prepared take-out food intended for off-premises consumption and dry cleaners and farmers markets are not affected by the ordinance.